True North
by Nellie Potter
Summary: Another prophecy has come to light. It tells of the One who will save Oz from Theodora. But it isn't Dorothy. There is another witch. The Witch of the North. This is her story.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I've been obsessed with this movie recently and just had to publish this! **

**Credit to BehindTheMask4319068 for the idea of Evanora wanting redemption of sorts**

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Alright, so not everything had gone according to plan. Theodora had bitten the apple, just as Evanora had wanted. But beyond that, everything was falling to ruin. Evanora didn't want to fight. It would only end up creating quite the mess. But that Wizard and Glinda were making everything so hard. So really, any mess created by the battle could be blamed on them. It was rather selfish, wasn't it?

The battle ended up with Evanora being alone with Glinda in the throne room.

So this was her fate then? It seemed so petty and ridiculous. A showdown with Glinda the Good Witch of the South? Evanora certainly had a list of other things that weren't such a waste of her time. But if she must show all of Oz who really was more powerful, then she wasn't going to back down.

"Evanora," Glinda began, almost pleadingly. "Will you listen to reason? Things don't have to be this way. If you will just stop fighting me, we can work things out." As she spoke, Glinda kept coming nearer to Evanora until they were now only about a foot apart from each other. "Let us not put the land of Oz through the damage of a showdown."

A bitter laugh escaped Evanora. "You honestly believe it will be that easy? Oh Glinda, you always were so naïve. I am the rightful ruler to Oz!" And no one was going to take that from her. She wouldn't let anyone dare snatch the throne away from her. She had worked too hard to get this far and wasn't about to throw it all away.

Evanora raised her hands above her hand, effervescent green magic appearing between them. It seemed Evanora had no choice but to end Glinda once and for all. Pity, it would have been nice to have Glinda be forced to obey her every command. But it wasn't going to happen. It would have to be death.

Without warning, Glinda fought back. But she didn't fight back in the way Evanora expected her to fight back. Glinda's hand shot out and the witch clutched the emerald necklace that hung around Evanora's neck. Evanora's eyes widened. That necklace was the source of her power; she needed it! "I hate that it's come to this," Glinda told Evanora quietly. She wasn't stupid. She knew that the necklace could make or break Evanora. "Will you continue to fight?"

Now Evanora had a choice. Either she allow Glinda to destroy the necklace, or let the fight end now. Evanora didn't say anything at first. She could only stare at Glinda. This decision could either let her live, or let her true self show, which might end up getting her killed.

"Tick tock, Evanora," Glinda said, speaking softly.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Another year had come to pass in the peaceful Land of Oz; the battle had not been forgotten. But Evanora had been forgiven. Theodora had not. The Wicked Witch of the West didn't dare surrender so easily. When news of Evanora being allowed to remain as royal advisor reached Theodora, she was far less than pleased to hear that her sister had a moment of such weakness.

But everyone's thoughts were far from the Wicked Witch. All Ozians were too focused on another concerning matter.

Not many Ozians could tell if a year had actually gone by in Oz. Some people had been smart enough to calculate how many hours have passed each day, and then how many days have passed. But others hadn't been so clever and lost track of everything. It was quite easy to lose track of the time when time stopped.

It couldn't be said for sure why time stopped. Many had come to the Wizard, seeking answers. But the Wizard had no answers to provide. Even Glinda was at a loss for explanations. There was one person who Glinda was sure would know.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz *Oz

Evanora was in one of the large studies in the palace of the Emerald City. She was blankly staring at the grandfather clock in the room. The clock was stuck on the time 8:15. It has been stuck like that for the past year. Evanora was surprised that no one seemed to blame her for it. After all, this had occurred the day after she had surrendered to Oscar and Glinda.

Of course she knew why time had stopped. If anyone would know why something was not quite right in Oz, it would be Evanora. The Wizard most certainly was too much of a buffoon to be aware of the true goings on in Oz.

While she had chosen the path of forgiveness and redemption over death, that didn't mean that Evanora liked Glinda and Oscar any more. In fact, she liked them even less. And it really was cruel of Oscar to be fooling the Ozians with his trick of smoke, mirrors, and projection.

Evanora's thoughts were disturbed when the door opened and Glinda stepped inside the study. "Evanora," Glinda greeted curtly. Evanora merely kept her gaze on the large clock. Glinda continued, "The people of Oz are worried about the clocks having stopped; about time having stopped. I assume you know the answer?"

Stupid, naïve Glinda, Evanora thought to herself. "Another prophecy has made itself known," the reestablished Royal Adviser informed Glinda. "It is about the One, who shall bring light to Oz; shall free Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West."

Glinda now remembered hearing of that prophecy. "Oh yes, the one named Dorothy, right?"

The prophecy of Dorothy Gale coming to Oz had come to light a few months before. It appeared in the dreams of Oscar, Evanora, Glinda, the China Girl, and Finley. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore and was officially established as prophecy when it appeared in the Book of Fates. But Evanora had seen that it had changed.

A frown appeared on Glinda's face when Evanora shook her head. "No, the prophecy has been rewritten. The one named Dorothy is not our savior from Theodora."

"Then who is?"

Evanora looked away from the clock to meet Glinda's eyes. "The Witch of the North."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And special thanks to supersmashkingdomhearts9902 and Jasper98 for helping me with the character name! You guys are awesome!**

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**107 years later…**

The last day of school had come a few weeks ago, much to the relief of everyone. Especially to one particular eighteen year old because the end of school meant that she could spend all of summer out on the water. Even more importantly, it meant college next year.

The sea breeze was nice and smelled of salt and fish. It was refreshing. One of the many reasons Nessarose loved Maine was because of the ocean. True, where she was located there were no sandy beaches. There were rocky beaches, but a beach was a beach. And Nessarose loved sitting on a large boulder, watching the water reach out to the shore.

What she loved even more though, was boating. The feel of the breeze playing with her hair, leaving her fate to the wind; it was all so fantastic. And the eighteen year old had been lucky enough to have parents who bought a speedboat. The family made it a point to go out every weekend on the speedboat; a vessel she and her brother named the _Majestic. _It was a gorgeous boat.

When she had been sixteen, Nessarose had been given permission by her parents to get a proper boating license and finally on her eighteenth birthday she was able to go out on her own without supervision. It was a wonderful sensation, being out on the water all by herself. Her parents always said that she was destined to be out on the water, for her eyes were as blue as the Caribbean waters themselves.

Nessarose stood up from the boulder that she had been sitting upon, inhaling deeply. It felt like a good time to go out on the water. So Nessarose navigated across the shore to the docks where the _Majestic _was tied up.

She started up the motor when she found the keys in the glove compartment. She debated whether or not she should put her sunglasses on. Nessa decided against it as the sun wasn't bright enough to blind her. When the engine revved up, she took off from the dock.

Flecks of saltwater hit her in the face, making Nessarose laugh quietly in amusement. For about an hour she just drove around, enjoying the feel of gliding across the waves. She slowed down a bit when another boat was coming up beside her. She recognized it as the _Barnacle, _also known as the boat that belonged to Lowell.

"Nessa!" Lowell called out to Nessarose, "Fancy meeting you out here." He flashed a charming grin.

Nessarose rolled her eyes whilst wearing an amused smirk. "Not really, Lowell. You know I come out here whenever I have time," she reminded her. "And I always seem to run into you. Some people call that stalking."

Lowell chuckled as he abandoned his post and wandered to the edge of the _Barnacle_. "Well, I'm not some people. Come on, why don't you abandon ship and hop aboard here? We'll go on a nice ride, stop for lunch…"

"No thanks Lowell!" Nessarose interrupted. He attempted this practically every other day. "I'm sure I'll see you around." She started to drive the _Majestic _away from Lowell's boat. Sweet kid, but not her type. She drove off, doing her best to get as much distance between her and Lowell as possible. Nessa really just wanted to be alone at this time. Everything as tranquil and it gave her a calming sense.

"Just be careful!" Lowell warned her as she started driving away. "I think I see a few storm clouds in the distance!"

Nessarose just brushed it off though. "Yeah, sure, thanks!" She didn't really care though. Looking up at the sky, Nessa could see the light gray clouds that were miles away. She figured that if a storm really would come in, she'd have time to make it back to the docks without any trouble.

About two hours passed of her just driving or floating around and Nessarose decided it was time to head back home. Besides, her little brother, Kenneth, was probably bored and wanted her to entertain him. So Nessarose turned the boat around and started to drive back towards the dock.

The wind started to pick up, but Nessarose thought nothing of it. What did grab her attention was when the sky suddenly darkened. She looked up and saw that dark thunderstorm clouds blocked the sun. That was strange. There wasn't supposed to be a storm.

Growing a tad bit worried that she might get caught up in the storm, Nessarose accelerated the speed of the boat a bit. It was best not to panic. But worrying was totally acceptable.

Thunder erupted in the sky, ringing in Nessarose's ears. It had been louder than any sound of thunder Nessa ever heard before. The storm must be right overhead then. She sped up the boat a little more. The wind really picked up now.

Without warning a water spout suddenly appeared. Nessarose looked over her shoulder to see that water spout and it kept moving toward her. Not good. There was no one else out on the water; no one to help her. She forced the boat to go as fast as it could. It still wasn't enough though. She could feel the water spout sucking the boat towards it.

Nessarose let out a scream as she suddenly soaked with cold water and sucked into the water spout. She couldn't breathe for a few moments and screamed again when the boat was lifted into the air. She held on for dear life, praying that this wouldn't kill her. Of course it would kill her though! And she had so many regrets. Well, not really. In fact, she couldn't think of a single regret. Nessarose couldn't think of anything except the fact that she very well may die any second.

Tears were pouring down her face, mixing with the ocean water that drenched her. She was being raised higher and higher in the air, somehow managing to remain in the boat.

And then, everything just stopped. It was as if the storm was over, but Nessa was still in the middle of the water spout. She looked out over the edge of the boat and couldn't see the ground or the ocean. She just saw grayness. Nessarose quickly decided that she would have preferred to see the ground coming at her one hundred miles per hour than just nothing.

It seemed her wish was granted, unfortunately. The boat suddenly dropped and she was falling towards the ground at a seemingly inhuman speed. Soon, Nessarose found the boat falling faster than her and she was in the open air, plummeting to her death. Nessarose shut her eyes and braced herself for the end.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's going to be a while before my next update because I'm going camping for a few days and won't be able to work on this at all. Thanks to those of you who reviewed! Reviews are greatly appreciated! **

**How about a deal? The more reviews, the quicker I'll update!**

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The scream had been heard throughout all the land. Every head turned in the direction where the scream came from. It surprised every Winkie, every Munchkin, every Gilikinese, and every Quadling. For a moment, everything in Oz stood still. Then everyone brushed it off and went on about their business. Except for a few, those few being Oscar, Glinda, and Evanora.

"That scream must have been heard throughout all of Oz," Glinda stated. She, Evanora, and Oscar were in the throne room. Knuck was guarding the door to make sure that there were no unexpected visitors.

Oscar was pacing, seemingly deep in thought. "You don't suppose this could be the work of Theodora?" he suggested, the worst on his mind.

Evanora scoffed; Glinda and Oscar really were foolish. "Of course this wasn't the work of my sister. What would she accomplish from such a thing?" she pointed out. The other two found that they couldn't argue with that. "It has been one hundred and eight years since you, Oscar, had come to Oz and one hundred and eight years since time has stopped. It has been one hundred and seven years since the prophecy of the One changed."

Impatient, Oscar cut in. "What is your point?"

This little interruption annoyed Evanora, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she just continued. "My point is… I believe it is time that the prophecy is fulfilled."

Glinda and Oscar exchanged glances. Could it really be true that after all this time, the One had finally come?

"Well it's high time," Oscar muttered. It had been years and years; of course he was a little ticked off that it had taken so long for the One to come. He wandered over to one of the windows of the throne room and looked out among the peaceful Land of Oz.

Evanora sighed quietly. She, too, had grown rather weary of time not having moved for such a long while. "I think it would be best to check up on the new arrival," she murmured.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz *Oz

The only thing that Nessarose truly registered was the aching of her body. She felt as if she had run into a brick wall on purpose. She had to be dead. No one would have been able to survive being sucked up into that water spout. She was dead and she was lying on the ground in Hell. Her clothes felt heavy with water though. Was Hell supposed to be wet?

Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt a sharp pain in her leg. Nessa's eyes shot open and she forced herself to stand up. She was in a body of water and this small creature had sunk its teeth into her leg! "Ouch; get off!" Nessa told the creature, shaking her leg. The small being released her from the grasp of the tiny but pointy teeth, giggling madly. Nessarose swatted at it and the creature, whatever it was, flew away, still laughing.

Unsure of what really had just happened, Nessarose quickly got out of the water. Her clothes were soaked, but looking around, she quickly determined that wet clothes were the least of her problems. This place where she was, it looked like it couldn't exist in real life. She must be dead. There was no other explanation. The flowers were huge and the colors of everything were so vibrant! It was all like a dream.

With an awestruck look in her eyes, Nessarose started to wander through the shrubbery, hoping she would not brush up against anything poisonous. What she found on the other side of the bushes made her raise her eyebrows. It was a yellow brick road.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Evanora stared at the crystal orb that showed her the current whereabouts of the One who had finally arrived. Oscar walked over to the orb as well to have a look. "She's where I ended up when I first came here," he observed out loud. Evanora glanced to him but did nothing else that made it clear that she even knew he was there. "It's where Theodora found me," Oscar added as if for Evanora's benefit. "She's quite a long way from here."

Evanora moved away from the looking orb, hands on her hips in thought. "Indeed, and there is no guarantee that she will be able to get to the Emerald City on her own. There are many paths to choose on the yellow brick road. Someone will have to go and retrieve her before she wanders off from the path."

This plan was an excellent one except for one little detail. "She is about a day's journey away from here," Oscar pointed out. "By the time someone could make it out there to her, she might be long gone." He rubbed his chin in thought. There had to be some way to get to the One before she got away. Oz then snapped his fingers as an idea struck him. "You can use your magic to transport from place to place like Glinda, right?"

Having an idea of where Oz was going with this, Evanora nodded slowly few times. "Yes, I have that capability. But why not just ask Glinda?"

Oscar waved off Evanora's question. "She is busy tending to those who reside in Munchkinland. Not entirely sure what the business is exactly; besides, who better to trust with such a job than the Royal Advisor?" He flashed her a charming smile.

Evanora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When would the idiotic man learn that his charms did not blind her? A quiet sigh escaped her. She could not really find a reason to argue other than that she did not want to, which would not be valid enough, she was sure. "Very well, I shall do my best to find the girl and bring her here."

There was a blinding flash of bright lime green that caused Oz to squint, and Evanora was gone.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Nessarose hugged herself as she walked along the yellow brick road. Rather miraculously she had dried off for the most part, but was still a little chilly, and the ends of her hair were dripping. It was not particularly pleasant.

"This can't be happening," Nessarose murmured to herself. "This is all just a dream. Yeah, that's it." She stopped walking and frowned. Great, now she was talking to herself. Maybe this wasn't a dream. Maybe she was just crazy. That sounded plausible enough. Any moment, she would wake up in the mental asylum. Now that did not sound like fun, but she would have preferred it over this being real. "I'm talking to myself... I'm crazy."

"You know what they say, dear: all the best people are." It was an unknown voice from behind Nessa who said this.

Caught by surprise, Nessarose jumped and quickly spun around. Her blue eyes widened as they met green ones. Nessarose was speechless and quite frankly a little scared. Here she thought she would have to brave this land alone. Now that she was being confronted by someone, she wished she was by herself. "I... uh, I..." Nessarose could not find words.

Evanora wore an amused smirk. "Rather speechless, I see," she mused. "And nervous? I suppose I can't blame you. But you needn't worry about a thing. The Wizard has sent me to bring you back to the Emerald City."

Nessarose felt her nervousness disappear. It was replaced by confusion and doubt now. She held up her right hand to stop Evanora from continuing to talk. "Okay, hold up. The Wizard? Emerald City? You're not making any sense." Nothing that had happened so far was making sense! She should have died from that water spout incident! At this point, she was pretty sure that she was alive. Maybe she was wrong though. "I'm dead, aren't I?" Nessa asked Evanora.

A quiet laugh slipped past Evanora's red painted lips. "I can assure you that you are not dead," she promised, taking a step towards Nessa. The girl seemed so young; this could not possibly be the Witch of the North from the prophecy! Then again, the original supposed Savior that went by Dorothy Gale was supposed to have been younger. "And what is your name?"

Mom and Dad always said never talk to strangers. Nessa never thought she would actually use the rules of stranger danger. But it seemed the opportunity had risen. Did it really matter though? Nessa was still fairly convinced that she was dead. This woman had mentioned the Emerald City and Nessarose knew for a fact that such a place existed only in a story. So what was the harm in giving away her name? If this was just made up by her mind, she would only be giving her name away to herself. "My name's Nessarose Thropp. But people call me Nessa."

Nessa… it was a peculiar name in the older witch's opinion. Then again, who was she to judge with a name like Evanora? And the more she played around with the name in her mind, the more Ozian it sounded. Perhaps this was the Witch of the North after all. "I'm known as the Royal Advisor," Evanora introduced herself. "But considering the circumstances, you may refer to me as just Evanora." If this was truly the Witch of the North, then they were equals.

The circumstances? Nessarose wondered what Evanora could possibly mean by that. Nessarose's thoughts were interrupted when Evanora continued speaking. "Now, take my hand please," she requested, holding out her hand to Nessa. "You need to see the Wizard."

Naturally, Nessarose was hesitant. But if none of this was real, it shouldn't matter what she did. So Nessarose took Evanora's hand and they disappeared in a flash of green.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long! Honestly, I don't know when my next update will be because this weekend I'm getting ready to leave for camp, meaning I won't be able to update for two weeks.**

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Transporting back to the palace at the Emerald City was like nothing Nessarose had ever experienced before. It was uncomfortable and did not agree with her stomach. When they appeared in the throne room of the palace, Nessa's legs nearly gave out from under her. Evanora was quick though and managed to catch Nessa before she collapsed.

"First time transporting I see," Evanora observed with a small amused grin as she took her arm away from Nessarose when the girl was steady on her own two feet again.

Nessarose closed her eyes tightly and nodded slowly a few times. She honestly thought she was going to be sick. If that was how transporting felt like all the time then she never wanted to do it again. After taking a few more deep breaths, Nessa opened her eyes again, feeling slightly better but not much. She heard Evanora say to her in an assuring voice, "You'll start feeling better in a few more moments. It takes time getting used to."

All Nessa could do in response was nod with a weak smile. For none of this being real it all felt like it was actually happening.

Suddenly, there was a loud boom and then a thick cloud of smoke rose up in front of the throne. Nessarose felt her heartbeat quicken, not entirely sure what was going on. She continued to watch as an enlarged image of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz's head appeared and Nessa's jaw nearly dropped. It was just like how it was in the Wizard of Oz movie! Except this wizard was certainly more good looking. Her mind and imagination were certainly running away with her. But hang on a moment. If this were like the movie, then that meant...

Nessa's eyes searched the room and she quickly found the strange machine that was the cause of the sounds, smoke, and projection. Before Evanora could stop her, Nessa went over and pulled aside the curtain.

Well Oscar was certainly taken aback. He had not expected that to happen. "Uh... pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" he announced in his usual theatrical voice that he had developed. Oscar tried shutting the curtain but Nessarose held it open with an expression of not being amused. Oscar stared at her and noted that she looked exactly like the girl he had seen in Evanora's crystal orb. So this was the supposed Witch of the North. "Not easily fooled, are you?" Oscar questioned as he stepped out and straightened his jacket.

With a slightly smug smile, Nessa shook her head. "Nope," she answered the Wizard.

Oscar circled her a few times, taking in her appearance. Nessa's gaze followed him and she felt strange being scrutinized. Oscar stopped his studying and went over to Evanora, pulling her aside. "And you're sure that she is the One?" he asked the Royal Advisor quietly.

Evanora pursed her lips together slightly in thought, placing her hands on her hips out of habit. She looked past Oscar to glance at Nessarose. "Well," the woman began, turning her attention back to the "wonderful" Wizard of Oz. "There is one way to find out, isn't there?"

It took a moment for Oscar to get Evanora's meaning. When he did, he grinned. "Evanora, you are brilliant. And _that _is why you're the Royal Advisor."

The dark haired woman wanted to roll her eyes. She knew that she wasn't the Royal Advisor because she was brilliant. True, she had managed to convince Oscar and Glinda that she wanted to stick with this position because she wanted to redeem her. And that was part of the truth. But Evanora knew that Glinda and Oscar also agreed because it meant they could keep an eye on her, just in case she decided to turn the tables on them.

Clearing her throat, Evanora brushed past Oscar and walked over to Nessarose. She smiled warmly at the girl who was blatantly still confused about her situation. Evanora took hold of both of Nessa's hands with a gentle grasp, a way to show that she could be trusted. "My dear, I must ask that you come with me. There is something very important that I need to see and you must be there."

Nessa's brow furrowed slightly as she wondered what it was Evanora needed to see. "Uh, okay?" she answered hesitantly.

The smile that Evanora wore helped to comfort Nessarose a bit. While she still thought she was either dead or dreaming, it all felt very real and it made her feel uneasy. "Excellent," said Evanora and then linked arms with Nessa as she started to guide the girl to one of the outside walkways.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Once outside, Nessa got a better look at the Emerald City. It was green, like she expected, but much more magnificent than she could have ever imagined. The wind played with Nessa's hair as she walked alongside Evanora on the walkway.

Suddenly Evanora stopped walking and brought Nessa to the railing at the edge of the platform. "There is a large dragon clock tower in the city," Evanora began to explain. She searched the city that was laid out before them for a few moments before she found it. "There, can you see it? It's the dragon clock and it's been frozen for one hundred and eight years."

Nessa found herself captivated by the dragon clock tower. It was grandiose and lavish and simply amazing. It reminded her of Big Ben in London except this one had a large dragon on top with piercing eyes that seemed to watch the citizens of Oz. She forced herself to draw her attention away from the dragon to look at the hands on the clock that seemed to be stuck at 8:15.

She stared and stared and Evanora did the same. The two were utterly silent. In fact, it seemed the whole of Oz was silent. And then it happened. The minute hand moved from 8:15 to 8:16. A bright grin appeared on Evanora's countenance. "So it's true," she whispered in awe.

The mechanical dragon atop the clock tower moved its head and let out a mighty roar as it spread its mighty wings. The minute hand and hour hand on the face of the clock started spinning around rapidly until they finally came to rest on the correct time. Nessarose felt her lips twitch and form a small smile.

Evanora turned her attention away from the clock tower to face Nessarose straight on. "You are the One we've been waiting for. You, my dear Nessarose, are the Witch of the North."

Now this utterly perplexed Nessa. And she thought things couldn't get any more confusing! How was it that she was this supposed Witch of the North? She wasn't an Ozian. She was from Earth; she was from reality. "This… this isn't a dream, is it?" Nessarose asked softly. This definitely felt all too real to simply be a fantasy.

"No, it isn't," Evanora answered Nessarose quietly. "You are really in Oz. And you're meant to save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West."

Now here came the problem for Evanora and because she had said it out loud, she finally realized it. Before her stood the girl, no more than eighteen, who was going to kill not just the Wicked Witch of the West, but Theodora… her sister. While Evanora had promised she was on the side of the "good guys" she didn't wish death upon the sister that was wicked because of her!

The One, the Witch of the North, didn't know how to use magic and was completely vulnerable. Yet she was going to save all of Oz and take the life of Theodora. Well, Evanora would have to do something about that, wouldn't she?


	5. Chapter 5

**This shall be my last update for two weeks. I am going to camp during that time and the chances of me being able to connect to internet are very slim. But because of that, I promise to write as much as I can every day so I will be able to update a lot more when I return. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, followed, and favourited!**

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"And this will be your room," Evanora said as she opened the door to one of the many large guestrooms that were located throughout the whole palace. "I do hope you like it."

Nessarose raised her eyebrows as she stepped inside the bedroom that would be hers. It was grand and lavish and just flat out amazing in her eyes. "If this is only a guestroom then the master bedroom must be one hell of a room," she said to herself, looking around. It was green, like the rest of the palace. But Nessa supposed that she could learn to really like green. She would have to if this was where she would be staying for some time.

She wandered over to the window, which gave her a lovely view of a magnificent garden. Nessarose tore herself away from the sight to explore the rest of the room. A large bed that was more comfortable than any Tempurpedic mattress she had ever slept on, a vanity with an extravagantly crafted wooden frame; it was everything Nessa could ever want in a bedroom. Well, without technology of course.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Nessarose feels the reality of the situation crashing into her periodical like waves. She was in Oz. And she was the Witch of the North? That couldn't be possible.

Seeing some slight distress upon the girl's countenance, Evanora took a few steps toward her. "Nessarose, is everything alright? You seem troubled."

"Oh I'm fine," Nessarose insisted to Evanora, who now stood in front of her. "It's just that… it doesn't make sense. How can I be the Witch of the North? I don't have any powers!"

Evanora took a second to study Nessarose. She was dressed in odd clothes, true. But other than that, there was nothing truly unique about her. And that was when Evanora realized what Nessarose was missing. "The witches of Oz, we have a source of our power." Absentmindedly, Evanora brought a hand to the emerald that hung around her neck. "It seems that you don't have a source of power yet."

Okay, a source of power; that just made everything seem even more insane to Nessa. But what other choice did she have than to go along with it? "And erm, how do I get a source of power?" she asked Evanora, the words sounding even stranger when they leaped off her tongue.

That was a very good question actually and Evanora was pleased to see that Nessarose was making inquiries. She was also pleased to see that Nessarose was still clueless about many things in Oz. Sure she knew the Wizard's secret, but it seemed she didn't know much else that could be considered impressive. "All in good time, dear. Now feel free to get acquainted with the room. Dinner is in an hour in the dining hall." And with that, Evanora left without another word, closing the door behind her.

Nessarose stood stationary for a few moments before going over to the door and sticking her head out. "Wait! Where's the…" she trailed off though, seeing that Evanora was nowhere in sight. "Dining hall," she finished, speaking to herself now. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she went back into the room that would be hers, at least for now.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Theodora narrowed her demonic eyes on the image before her in the crystal orb, much like the one her sister possessed. So Witch of North had come to save all of Oz from her wrath? Theodora let out a cackle. This supposed Witch of the North was a simple little girl! The very thought of a mere child even attempting was rich.

"Chistery!" Theodora summoned one of the flying monkeys. She had come to view this monkey as her personal pet; favored amongst the others who were merely slaves that were once under Evanora's rule and now having to obey every command of the Wicked Witch of the West. "Go to the Emerald City," the green skinned witch commanded. "Find out all that you can about this Nessarose. And don't you dare to be so foolish as to get caught. Now, go, fly!"

The winged monkey that had been given the name Chistery spread his wings that were almost bat like in appearance. He went over to the window and took flight, screeching as he did so. He would not fail his mistress.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Dinner time had rolled around and everyone was seated in their usual places. Oscar had just finished telling Finley, China Girl and Glinda about their guest, informing them of every detail he was aware of. And of course, China Girl kept asking more questions.

"How old is she?" the china maiden interrogated the Wizard. "And what's her favorite color? Maybe it'll be blue, like mine! Does she have a lot in common with me? And what about Finley; does she like flying monkeys?"

Glinda cleared her throat quietly, stopping China Girl's train of questions that could not be answered as of yet. "Oscar," she addressed the Wizard. "Our guest was informed about what time dinner was?" It was twenty minutes past that time and she was nowhere in sight.

"I'm not sure," Oscar answered Glinda truthfully. "Evanora," he looked to the Royal Advisor who had indeed been permitted to dine with them on all occasions, "you did inform her of the time dinner was, yes?"

Evanora nodded once. "Yes, I did. I think it is safe to assume that she has gotten lost though." And who could really blame her? The palace was large and could be viewed as quite the labyrinth when one had not spent years living in it. Without needing to be told, Evanora stood up from her place at the table. "I shall try and find her."

Oscar gave her a small nod of consent and Evanora left the dining hall to go and fetch Nessarose. When Evanora had left, China Girl looked down at her place setting. It was rather hard for her to live in the same palace as Evanora. It was her who had China Town destroyed. Yes, Evanora claimed she wanted to live a life of redemption, it was still hard to simply forgive her for all the wicked things she had done in the past.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

The first place Evanora thought to look for Nessa was the bedroom, naturally. The door was closed and Evanora raised her fisted hand to knock a few times. She stopped herself however when she thought she heard crying on the other side of the door. She frowned faintly and her brow furrowed. This made it apparent that Nessarose was still in the room. But what reason did the girl have to cry? Wanting to find out, Evanora knocked a few times and then opened the door.

Nessarose was standing in front of the window, her back to Evanora. Nessarose used that to her advantage and wiped her tears as best she could without Evanora noticing. Her efforts were in vain though as the action was clear to the older witch and there were still evidence that she had shed tears. Her eyes were slightly reddened and a tad bit puffy and there were tear tracks down her cheeks.

"Nessarose," Evanora said softly, standing a few yards away.

Glancing over her shoulder, Nessa smiled weakly at Evanora and then quickly looked away. "Sorry if I held everyone up at dinner… I'm not hungry," she said, her voice slightly wavering and this could not be helped. Her throat felt raw from the sobs that had escaped her earlier before Evanora had come in.

This was introducing Evanora to a new situation. Not once had she ever shown anyone motherly affection. She was not a mother. She had been a sister though; still was. Yet the attitude towards her sister hadn't been very conventional, had it? After all, she was the one to turn Theodora into the green woman she was that day. She had manipulated Theodora. But to give genuine comfort to someone was Glinda's territory. And because of that, Evanora did consider going to fetch Glinda to handle this situation.

No, that would be taking the easy way out. And Evanora was supposed to be showing the others that she was on the road to redemption. While half of her did want to hurt Nessarose before Nessa could do anything to Theodora, the other half of Evanora did want to prove that she could change.

And so, Evanora moved so that she was standing right beside Nessarose and she placed a gentle, hopefully comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Tell me what's troubling you." Her voice was soft and inviting.

"My family," Nessa choked out, close to breaking down again. She was being foolish, she knew that. She had to be stronger than this. It was so hard to be strong when weakness was all she had though. "I just really miss them."

Now that was something Evanora knew how to deal with. She missed her family too sometimes. There were definitely times when she missed her mother, a kind woman who had always made time for her. She didn't know what Nessa's family was like, but obviously there had been a great deal of love in their relationship.

Not really sure what she was doing, Evanora pulled Nessarose into a hug. It wasn't a tight hug that would assure comfort. It was gentle, supposedly sending a message that she was there if Nessa needed her.

Nessa hugged back. Evanora wasn't sure how to feel about this. There was an odd feeling inside of her, one of warmth and contentment. It was more than that though. She felt acceptance.

Maybe she wouldn't hurt Nessarose.


	6. Chapter 6

It was later that same night. Nessarose had politely declined dinner, her stomach in too many knots for her to eat anything. So the motley crew that consisted of Oz, Glinda, Evanora, China Girl, and Finley had continued on without her. The whole time, Nessarose had not left her room. For hours the girl stayed on the balcony, staring out at the sky as the stars began to appear one by one. Even at such a late hour, she remained there.

The stars were so pretty in Oz. Nessarose found herself wondering if this was the same sky that her little brother would be looking out at right now, missing her. Either that or he was begging their parents to let him claim her bedroom since it was bigger. That particular thought made Nessa smile faintly whilst a small giggle escaped her. Indeed there were times when Nessa found her little brother annoying. But now that Kenny wasn't by her side twenty-four hours a day, she really missed him.

Mom would be missing her terribly. Dad would be, too. They always seemed to worry too much. Nessarose really wished there was some way that she could tell them that she was fine. Homesick, but fine; there was nothing to worry about.

Not wanting to get upset again like she had earlier, Nessarose pushed these thoughts from her mind. What to think about though? Oh! Hadn't Evanora mentioned something about a source of power? While Nessa still thought this was a dream, she was still curious. And in this dream, she was the supposed Witch of the North. She started imagining what her source of power would be.

Her train of thought was cut short as she saw something strange fly across the sky. At least, she thought she saw something strange. It looked like a type of large monkey… with wings! And then Nessarose remembered the original Oz story. It was the Wicked Witch who had flying monkeys, wasn't it? Realizing this, Nessa's eyes widened. She quickly went back inside the room, closing the glass doors that led out to the balcony and locking them. The Wicked Witch! She had almost forgotten about her.

But if this was all in her head, then the Wicked Witch couldn't hurt her, right? Gaining her sense of confidence back, Nessarose allowed herself to open the glass doors again and once more step out onto the balcony. Besides, the fresh air was very nice. It felt very clean in Oz and not polluted by factories and canneries. While Nessa had loved sailing, the smell of fish from local canneries had not always been pleasant.

The large flying monkey seemed to have disappeared and Nessarose smiled in relief. This truly was all in her imagination. While she was comforted with this false knowledge, Chistery watched her from the shadows of another structure in the Emerald City located very close to the palace so that he could keep an eye on Nessa. She didn't seem to do much and his mistress would be thoroughly disappointed by the lack of activity for sure.

Perhaps that was good though. This girl posed no threat as of yet. And if the Witch of the North did not need to be bothered with, then Theodora would have no trouble with getting rid of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Oscar was staring out a window, as if he was examining the night sky. He was doing no such thing though and simply lost in thought. He was intrigued by this new witch that had come along. She seemed a bit clueless though other than having been able to know right off the bat that he used smoke and mirrors to fool Ozians into thinking that he was the Wizard from the prophecy.

In a way, Oscar supposed he really was the Wizard from the prophecy. He had saved the people of Oz, hadn't he? And he liked to think that he helped bring Evanora to light, though sometimes he felt as if there was still some darkness within her. The Wicked Sisters seemed to have split apart, thankfully. But one could never be too sure of anything in a strange place such as Oz.

There was still the issue of Theodora though. The woman, who was now known to many as the Wicked Witch of the West, was still at large and wreaking havoc wherever she could. Ozians were still terrified beyond belief of her. And they had every right to be. Even Glinda's comforting words were having less of an effect on the people each day.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Meanwhile, Evanora was facing problems of her own. She was pacing in her room in front of the full length mirror. An internal conflict was always the worst kind. To follow the head or to follow the heart, that was the question. But along with that question arose another issue. She didn't want what her head and heart were saying.

There was darkness in Evanora. Nothing could ever change that. But evil wasn't born, it was made. And what had happened in the past that made Evanora who she was could not be changed, no matter how many stars she wished upon. Every day it was a struggle to not let that darkness cloud her judgment. Oh yes, there were numerous times when she would have just loved to drag her nails across Glinda's pretty little face.

She wanted her sister to be all right. But Glinda and that oaf of a Wizard were trying their best to stop her. And now the Witch of the North had come like the prophecy had said. She was so young and seemed to be even more naïve than Glinda. Naïve, but clever and that worried Evanora somewhat. Nessarose had been able to guess the Wizard's secret as soon as she stepped into the room. It was most certainly possible then that she would be successful in being the downfall of Theodora.

The Witch of the North lacked magic now. There wasn't much anyone could do against Theodora if they didn't have magic for her green-skinned sister had become quite powerful. All Nessarose needed was….

Evanora's train of thought stopped then. An idea had suddenly occurred to her. Without a source of power, then Nessarose was just simply another mortal being. Evanora had worked so hard to make people believe she wanted to redeem herself. But this could very well be her sister's life at stake. And in all honesty, no harm would come from keeping Nessarose away from her source of power once it was discovered. As long as it wasn't destroyed, whatever it would be, then Nessarose would be absolutely fine.

She finally knew what her head said, but what of her heart? Evanora had not always been the best with interpreting emotions that weren't obvious. She loathed not knowing exactly what she was feeling. All Evanora could say for sure was that as soon as the idea of keeping Nessarose away from her source of power popped into her head, she had a feeling of guilt.

Why should she feel guilt? She would be doing it to save her sister. Nessarose had so much potential though! She could really be a great witch.

Evanora stopped her pacing and stood perfectly still in front of the full length mirror. She sneered at herself in disgust. Was she honestly considering helping the girl? It wasn't as if Nessarose could do anything in return for her. But… no! There shouldn't be any ifs, ands, or buts. She would not be helping Nessarose to discover her source of power so that she could defeat Theodora.

She was going soft. That was a dreadful thing to Evanora. Pretending to want to redeem herself was taking its toll on her. Soon she might turn out to be like Glinda! That was just a nightmare waiting to happen.

So many confusing thoughts; it was giving Evanora a headache. Well, that was a simple cure. A little potion would certainly soothe the pain. And so, Evanora left her room to go to the potions room, where Glinda insisted all potion ingredients be locked up so that they couldn't "fall into the wrong hands" as it were.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

The knock had been unexpected and caused Nessarose to jump a little in surprise. She assumed it would only be a few more hours until sunrise; who would be knocking at such a late (or early depending on perspective) hour? Wearing a questioning expression on her countenance, Nessarose went over to the door to answer it.

Much to her surprise it was Evanora. What was Evanora doing up so late? Then again, she was up late as well.

It seemed Evanora was a little surprised too. But she was more surprised at herself. She had been going to make a potion to get rid of her headache, yet she had stopped here instead. "Oh, Nessarose, I just saw the light coming from your room. Are you alright?" There was a hint of concern in her voice and Nessa appreciated that.

Nessarose glanced over her shoulder to the candles that lit up the room, casting shadows on the wall. "Right, I just couldn't sleep," she assured the dark haired witch that stood in the doorway. "But uh, thanks for checking up on me."

Evanora frowned slightly as she took a moment to look Nessarose up and down. She was still dressed in the same strange clothes that she had been wearing earlier. Surely that strange blue fabric that made Nessa's trousers weren't all that comfortable to sleep in? "Would you like a change of clothes? I could lend you something for the night," Evanora offered.

"Oh, no thanks, I'm fine," Nessa insisted.

But it seemed Evanora wouldn't hear of it. "Nonsense, I insist you be dressed in something more comfortable for the night. I doubt you have any other clothes with you; tomorrow I shall talk with Glinda and see if she can request that the Munchkins tailor some new clothes for you." Evanora would ask the Munchkins herself, but she doubted they would even listen to her.

And so, Evanora led the way to her bedroom and walked right over to the bureau that held her nightgowns. She pulled out a black one that was crochet-trimmed and reminded Nessarose of a long-sleeved, full length Fini Moore by Rosch. The nightgown was handed to her and Nessarose smiled appreciatively. "Thanks," she said to Evanora, who smiled in return.

"It's no trouble," Evanora assured her. "Shall I help you get back to your room?"

Nessarose blushed a little in embarrassment at needing to be assisted. But in her defense, the palace was huge; it was easy to get lost! "Yeah, that'd be great."

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Nessarose was looking at herself in the full length mirror, Evanora standing a few yards behind her. She was back in her room and now dressed in the nightgown that Evanora had lent her. Nessarose never actually wore a nightgown like this before. She always wore tank tops with sweatpants or an oversized tee-shirt.

She turned to face Evanora properly. "Thanks again; it's a lot more comfortable than my jeans."

Ah, so the trousers made from the strange fabric were called jeans then. Evanora made a mental note of that. "You're welcome. Now I must insist that you get some sleep. I'm afraid you'll have a rather busy day tomorrow. I will come by in the morning to wake you up and bring you to breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan. See you in the morning!" Nessarose said as she made her way over to the bed. She pulled back the covers and lay down as Evanora exited the room. As soon as the door was shut, Nessarose blew out the candles on the bedside table.

She was totally unaware that Chistery was watching her through the window all night long.

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**Will Evanora prevent Nessarose from finding her source of power to save Theodora? Or will she let the good in her win? And what will Theodora do to be rid of Nessarose? Stay tuned to find out more.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Alright readers I am giving you a choice. It won't drastically effect the outcome of this story since I have a solid idea of how I want this all to turn out. But it might change some things!**

**What should the relationship between Nessarose and Evanora be like: mother and daughter, sisterly, or really good friends.**

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The dream she had was very strange indeed. Nessarose dreamt that she had been in a boating accident and hallucinated she had ended up in the fantasy Land of Oz But all was well now. She was back at home, nestled beneath the duvet in her own bed back at home. Any minute now, Kenny would barge into her room and demand that she make him pancakes because Mom was horrible at it.

Funny, she didn't recall her bed being so comfortable. Did Dad get her a new mattress? No, that couldn't be it. She would have known if Dad got her a new mattress. And the sheets felt like they were made of satin. There was no way that her parents got her satin sheets. Slowly, Nessarose pushed the covers off of her as she sat up. Her blue eyes widened at what she saw. The room was grand, lavish… and green.

There came a small knock on the door and Evanora walked in, Nessarose groaned and fell back against the pillows that felt like little clouds. Evanora paused in her tracks. "Well good morning to you, too," said she before going over to the bedside. "I take it you're not a morning person?"

Nessarose forced herself to sit back up. "It's not that… well actually you're right I'm not a morning person. But it's not just that." She ran a hand through her long dark hair, her fingers getting a little caught in some of the knots. She pulled it free and set her hand on the bed. "I seriously thought that everything that happened yesterday was a dream."

Evanora nodded slowly a few times in understanding. "And waking up proved it wasn't," she finished for the eighteen year old. She placed her hand atop of Nessa's. "Things aren't as bad as they seem here. You'll grow used to all this green, I promise you."

A little laugh escaped Nessa at Evanora's humor and she was grateful to be given a reason to laugh. Especially considering that this wasn't dream so she truly wouldn't be seeing her family again. "What time is it anyway?" Nessa asked through a yawn.

"About seven o'clock in the morning," Evanora answered and Nessarose froze for a few moments before looking at the older witch incredulously.

Almost immediately, Nessa's smile faded. "Seven? You seriously woke me up at seven in the morning?"

Evanora raised her eyebrows. "You were awake when I came in," she pointed out.

Realizing that Evanora was right, Nessarose let her annoyance at being woken up so early fade. "Touché," she replied, her smile returning. She kicked the covers off of her and stood up, revealing that she was still wearing the nightgown that Evanora had lent her. She walked over to her clothes from the day before that she had folded neatly on the bureau.

As she grabbed her clothes, Evanora stood up from the bed and walked over to her side. "Oh no, you can't put those on again," said she, taking the clothes from Nessa and putting them back on the bureau. "You have a few people to meet today and I will not let you be seen in anything less than respectable."

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Two hours later, Nessarose was still in her room and she couldn't tear her gaze away from the mirror. Evanora had talked with Glinda, who had apparently spoken with a few Munchkins. And now Nessarose was in a dress. She was in a freakin' dress!

And she loved it. Nessarose never really liked wearing dresses because they weren't efficient for sailing or anything she did. The only time she actually wore a dress was at her senior prom. And even then, her dress hadn't been as fancy or gorgeous as this one.

It was a dark indigo that looked almost black and Nessarose found that she very much liked the color. What surprised Nessa the most was how well the munchkin had managed to get the elegant floor length chiffon dress fit her figure in such a short amount of time. Slowly, Nessarose brought her right hand up to the left short sleeve to ghost the material. She had never worn anything that made her feel pretty yet humble, even with a sweetheart neckline that gave Nessa a little bit of cleavage.

Evanora walked into the room and smiled in approval at what she saw. "Do you like it?" she asked as she walked over to where Nessarose stood. The dress looked better on Nessarose than Evanora had originally expected. And the way Nessarose was staring at her reflection was satisfying.

"I love it," said Nessarose honestly. She tore her gaze away from the mirror that held her reflection and smiled at Evanora. "Like, honestly I love it."

The older witch smiled, pleased that the girl was happy with the dress. "Many more will have to be made seeing as you'll be here for much longer than you expected." Evanora then paused a moment in thought. She tilted her head to the side slightly, which caused Nessarose to wonder what was going through her mind. Without a word, Evanora held out her hand and it was engulfed in what looked to be green electricity. When it disappeared, a diamond butterfly hairclip was in her palm.

Nessarose turned her attention back to the mirror and watched as Evanora carefully place the diamond butterfly clip in her hair. It contrasted nicely against her dark curls and Nessarose found herself to be speechless. Now that her entire outfit was complete, Nessarose felt… different. And to be perfectly honest, with this dress and her hair and with everything that had happened, she felt like a true Ozian for a brief moment.

But then something strange happened. She grew about an inch. Frowning slightly, Nessarose looked down, lifting the dress slightly so that she could see her feet. The sight she was met with caused her to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

Slippers and not just any slippers; they were gorgeous, shimmering silver slippers.

This revelation caused Evanora to tense. The Silver Slippers were obviously Nessa's source of power. Nessa had magic now and because of that, she was very powerful. But perhaps Nessarose didn't realize that the slippers were her source of power. Then there was still no worry about what would become of Theodora.

Quickly, Evanora distracted from the shoes. "Well Nessarose, are you ready to finally meet everyone?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really help inspire me to write when I read them, so please read and review!**

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China Girl was bouncing on the balls of her delicate feet. Everyone was gathered in the throne room except for Evanora and their guest. The girl smoothed out her little blue dress and then looked to the large green doors that would- hopefully- open any second. But then China Girl was faced with a sudden revelation that was rather upsetting. "What if she doesn't like me?"

Glinda, who had been standing by, angled her head to look down upon China Girl. She smiled warmly in reassurance. "You needn't worry, child. I'm sure she'll adore you." Glinda's main concern at the moment was Witch of the North's demeanor. What if the new witch turned out to be as coldhearted as Theodora? But from the way that Evanora had spoke of her, there was no need to worry about that. From what Glinda heard, the Witch of the North was a lovely girl.

Oscar kept pacing in front of the hallowed throne, Finley flapping his wings to stay stationary midair as he hovered over the throne. The Wizard was worried about the Witch of the North, too. He was just expressing it more so than Glinda. He had to make a good second impression. She had to be on their side if she was to help take down Theodora as the prophecy said so. True, they had already met, and she seemed nice and naïve then. But so had Theodora when Oscar had first met her; and now look at Theodora.

His pacing was interrupted suddenly and everyone turned their attention to the doors as one of them slowly opened. In stepped Evanora, smiling. It was a genuine smile, an appearance everyone was now used to her having. "I suspect you are all now ready to meet our guest."

"I shall blow a fanfare," said Knuck, about to raise his trumpet.

"Not now Knuck," Evanora said quickly. She may not know Nessarose very personally, but she felt that she knew the girl well enough to make the correct assumption that she would not like such a grand introduction. Evanora simply stepped aside, opening the door further as she did so.

Slowly but surely, Nessarose stepped in the room with a meek smile. There were many butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. This was rather nerve-wracking. Here in Oz, she was apparently a figure of importance. She had never been a figure of importance before. She had always just been a normal girl, blending in with the rest of the crowd. Her blue eyes kept jumping from one person to the other. The flying monkey did make her raise her eyebrows in surprise. Didn't flying monkeys work for the Wicked Witch?

China Girl wore a bright grin. This Witch of the North was, in her eyes, beautiful. Not beautiful like Glinda, who always reminded China Girl of a wonderful princess. No, the Witch of the North's beauty was simple and she seemed so… human. China Girl liked that. And her dress was simple as well; just a plain dark indigo. Nothing princess-like, like Glinda's, or sparkly like Evanora's, but it still struck China Girl as pretty.

"Uh, hi," said Nessarose rather timidly and she gave a little wave. Well, at least she had already met the Wizard so there was no need to worry about that.

Oscar was not at all taken aback by the witch's young appearance. He had seen her before, yes. But she seemed different now that she had the dress and the pin in her hair. She looked more of the part of the Witch of the North. "Well, it's nice to see you again, Nessarose," said Oscar. He stepped forward and took Nessa's hand, doing his signature move of kissing the back of her hand. "Shall I introduce everyone?" He stepped back, arms spread wide in a gesture to the whole crowd.

"I'm sure everyone here is more than capable of introducing themselves," Evanora cut in. Though there was no need for her to introduce herself, she still felt the need to say this. Oscar still annoyed her to great lengths; him and Glinda with her pretty little face. Evanora forced those thoughts from her mind. Now was not the place to be thinking such things.

Sensing the tension coming from Evanora, Glinda took the situation into her own hands. She took a step forward towards Nessarose. "My name is Glinda, dear. I am the Good Witch of the South."

Her voice was smooth and sweet and for a moment, Nessa could have sworn that she had listened to honey. That moment was short lived as Finley was now hovering in front of her instead of above the throne. "And my name is Finley," he introduced himself.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" a small voice called from the ground.

Frowning slightly in confusion, Nessarose looked down. That confusion immediately vanished when she saw China Girl. Well that certainly explained why Nessa didn't see her before; she was so small! Nessarose knelt down to the ground so that she was closer to China Girl's eye level. Not exactly as Nessarose was much taller than the china maiden, but closer in height than if Nessa just continued to stand at her full height. "And what's your name?" Nessa asked.

China Girl curtsied politely. "They call me China Girl," she said with a small smile. Now that Nessarose was closer to her height, she saw how blue the girl's eyes were. And blue was of course, China Girl's favorite color. "You're eyes are so pretty! Blue's my favorite color and you're eyes are just the perfect shade of it," she rambled.

Nessarose found that a little laugh escaped her. This walking and talking china figurine was most certainly amusing. "Thanks China Girl. I very much like you're dress." This simple statement honestly seemed to make China Girl's day. The Witch of the North liked her dress!

The room was just filled with bright grins. And why shouldn't this be so? All was going well. Even Evanora was smiling; something that was becoming less rare now that Nessa had arrived in Oz. Glinda had taken notice of this and it made her glad. Nessarose could be the answer to everything.

The smiles were short-lived as a ball of blazing flames crashed through one of the windows and landed in the middle of the room. Immediately, Oscar dove behind the curtain of the projection machine. Theodora could not know that Oscar still lived. She had to believe that Oscar died so that the Wizard could take his true form.

Everyone had to shield their eyes from the brightness of the flickering fire. When it finally disappeared and the smoke cleared the room, there stood the green skinned Wicked Witch. Her eyes seemed more menacing then ever as they immediately narrowed on Nessarose, who was paralyzed in fear.

"Well aren't you a pretty one," Theodora taunted as she stepped closer to Nessarose. She reached out and a green finger traced Nessa's jaw. "The Witch of the North," she cackled maniacally. "They honestly believe that you are the one to stop me and save all of Oz. But you know what I think, my pretty? I think that you're not going to get the chance to stop me."

The Wicked Witch was so close that Nessarose could smell her breath. It was surprisingly sweet with a hint of spice. It reminded Nessarose of cinnamon and sugar. It was unexpected; she expected sour and bitterness. "Please don't hurt me," Nessa choked out as she felt Theodora's hand travel to her neck.

Theodora grinned wickedly, showing off her teeth that were slightly sharper than normal. "Oh I'm not going to hurt you dear," she said soothingly, sending chills down Nessa's spine. She then suddenly gripped the young witch's throat tightly with the hand that wasn't holding her black broomstick. "I'm going to _break _you."

Her grip on Nessa's throat went slack and she, much to Nessa's relief, completely let go of her neck. "Such a beautiful face… I will enjoy seeing tears stain it." She gave one last wicked cackle and flew out the broken window on her broom, black smoke trailing behind her. Oscar slowly came out from his hiding place. He hated having to do that. But it was necessary.

Nessarose jumped slightly when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see it was Evanora. There was a single pause before the two embraced tightly. Nessa's heart was thudding so loudly and rapidly that Evanora could feel it beating as she hugged Nessa. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"F-fine," Nessarose weakly insisted. She buried her face in the crook of Evanora's neck as she shut her eyes tightly.

One thing was certain now: Theodora and Nessarose were most definitely enemies. Nessa would have to put an end to Theodora's tyranny. And it wasn't going to be pretty.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This fic is actually going a lot faster than I thought. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! **

**Okay, back to Nessa and Evanora's relationship: I posted a poll on my profile, so go vote on that!**

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"Alright, now try again," Evanora instructed.

It was around noon time the day after the incident of Theodora's interruption. No one had slept very well the night before, especially Nessarose. That morning over breakfast, Nessarose had practically begged Evanora to teach her magic now that Theodora's threat hung over her head.

Evanora, at first, had not wanted to. Again, that conflict of helping Nessa or helping her sister came into play. But the young witch had clasped her hands together and stuck out her lower lip in a pleading pout. So with a sigh and rolling of the eyes, Evanora agreed.

This led them to this point: Evanora attempting to teach Nessarose the most basic of spells. Needless to say, they were having little to no success. Nessa had her source of power. She just had trouble using it. "I just don't get it! I don't like, feeling anything. Aren't you supposed to feel something when you use magic?"

"Well yes, you're supposed to feel the power." Evanora tilted her head to the side slightly as she studied Nessarose. "You don't feel anything?" This could work out to Theodora's benefit. Evanora wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. This whole wanting-to-redeem-herself-thing was honestly more complicated than she had originally thought.

Nessarose shook her head slowly a few times. "Nope," she replied, popping the "p." This was frustrating to her. She wanted to learn magic; she _had_ to learn magic. Theodora's threat still echoed in her head, sending chills down her spine. _I'm going to _break_ you…. _

With slightly pursed lips in thought, Evanora looked down to see Nessa's shoes. Nessarose pulled up her dress a little so that she could stare at her shoes as well. She sighed quietly. Nothing. No glow, no strange feeling of magic coursing through her.

"Perhaps we'll just try again tomorrow," Evanora muttered absentmindedly. "It's almost time for lunch anyway. Come along." She gestured for Nessarose to follow her so that they could go to the dining hall and join the others for luncheon.

As they walked, Nessarose kept looking down at her new dress. It was different than the one that had been made for her the day before, but there were still some similarities. She had been told it was a sweetheart one-shoulder long indigo chiffon flower dress, and it really was pretty. But indigo just like the one yesterday? Then again, it seemed many people here in Oz stuck with the same colors. And Nessarose really couldn't complain. She especially loved the indigo flower at the hip of the dress.

Evanora glanced over to Nessa, smirking faintly as she noticed the girl constantly looking down at her attire. She put an arm around the girl's shoulder and was pleased that Nessa didn't flinch, as most people who knew her would. Then again, Nessarose did not know what had happened in the past; she was being shielded from the truth. "Not used to wearing dresses?"

"Not really," Nessarose replied as she looked up from the dress with a sheepish grin.

Evanora laughed airily. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it, I promise. And you don't have to wear dresses all the time." Theodora had not always worn dresses, Evanora recalled. She did now though. Theodora had changed so much…

Well that was certainly a relief to Nessarose, not having to wear dresses all the time. To be honest, she missed her jeans already even though it had only been a few days. "Thank god," Nessarose replied in relief.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

The garden was beautiful to say the very least. The servants at the palace worked hard to maintain it and were very successful. Evanora liked to come to the garden when she needed to clear her mind.

It was after lunch and Nessarose was spending time with China Girl in the library, leaving Evanora time to her thoughts.

She loved her sister. Despite all she had done, she loved Theodora dearly. Evanora had given her the apple because she loved Theodora. Oscar had broken her heart; took it in his hands and crushed it to dust. The apple was meant to harden Theodora's heart so that she couldn't feel the pain anymore. What Theodora had become had not been expected.

In fact, Evanora feared the Wicked Witch. That had not been supposed to happen. Yet it did, and there was no changing the past now.

And then there was Nessarose. The girl was young, and still seemed so innocent. She didn't know the whole story, only knew that there was a Wicked Witch who now seemed intent on hurting her. No, not hurting, Evanora reminded herself. Breaking. And that was probably a thousand times worse.

Again, that inner conflict came in. This was the Witch of the North, and Evanora held respect for her to some degree. But it was more than that. Nessarose couldn't judge her by her actions in the past because she didn't know of the past. And Evanora wanted to keep it that way. To not be judged but merely accepted was a wonderful feeling, she couldn't deny that.

She probably seemed weak in her sister's eyes. Evanora even felt weak. Not physically, of course. But her wall was starting to crumble. It had all started as a plan to make Ozians think she was redeeming herself just so she wouldn't be banished or sentenced to death. It was starting to become so much more. Evanora found herself wanting to actually be accepted, actually wanting to redeem herself.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

"What?!" Nessarose exclaimed.

She had started out hanging out with China Girl in the library, laughing and talking about a lot of things. China Girl had been fascinated with everything Nessarose had to say, especially when Nessa spoke of her land. "Really, pictures that move?" the child asked in wonder when Nessa had described a television.

The two had then been interrupted by Glinda, who had entered the library with grace and poise, just like she entered every room. And then she mentioned the ball that would be hosted tomorrow in honor of the arrival of the Witch of the North, which caused Nessa's exclamation.

"A ball for me? But I've never been to one! I don't know how to act or anything," Nessa rambled on. "Am I going to have to dance?" Glinda nodded a few times and Nessarose groaned before collapsing in one of the cushy arm chairs.

A soft laugh escaped Glinda. "I wouldn't worry so much dear. All you'll have to keep in mind is that the people are there to celebrate you and your arrival."

That didn't help to comfort Nessarose.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Theodora grinned devilishly as she stared into her crystal orb, listening to every word exchanged between Glinda and Nessarose.

A ball in celebration of the arrival of their precious Witch of the North tomorrow night; it couldn't be more perfect. Theodora let out a wicked cackle that resonated throughout her dark castle and some of the winged baboons shrieked and howled in response.

"Well my pretty," Theodora murmured to herself as her finger traced Nessa's face in the glass ball. "Being able to dance is not what you should be worrying about."

She had said she was going to break Nessarose. That was a promise Theodora intended to keep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, you guys! I honestly didn't think this story was going to be so popular! Sorry this update took forver but I promise that the next one won't take as long! Thanks again for the awesome reviews and those of you who followed and favorited.**

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It was nighttime and almost everyone was in bed, asleep. The only two people awake were Nessarose and Evanora. They were seated on Nessa's bed; talking for neither of them felt tired enough to go to sleep. Evanora's conflicting feelings kept her awake while Nessa's fear for the ball the next day prevented her from sleeping properly.

"So is it basically like prom?" Nessa asked. She had her knees drawn to her chest and was leaning against the headboard of the canopy bed.

Evanora cocked an eyebrow. Prom? The word was foreign to her. Many of the words Nessa said held no meaning to the older witch. Upon seeing Evanora's confused look, Nessarose laughed quietly. It seemed she had to explain a lot of things. "Prom is like a dance at the end of senior year in high school," she explained, hoping that Evanora at least remembered what "high school" was since Nessa explained it earlier. "And it's a huge deal and everything and the girls wear nice dresses and the guys wear tuxedos."

Now it all made sense, Evanora thought to herself. "In a way I suppose it is like prom," she began to elucidate. "However, the dress code may be just a tad different. The men and women wear clothes that are considered proper to their region." Now it was Nessa's turn to look confused which engendered Evanora to grin faintly as she was amused by the girl's expression. "Let me see if I can make this clearer… a man from the Vinkus (that's in western Oz) might wear something different than a man from the Gillikins, which is in northern Oz."

Northern Oz. Nessarose was suddenly struck with a thought. "I… I'm the Witch of the North. So the Gillikins, does that mean I'm like, in charge of that area?"

Slowly Evanora nodded. "Yes. The Gillikins and the Glikkus make up northern Oz. I must confess: the whole point of tomorrow's ball is not only to introduce yourself to all of Oz but to also make people aware of whom you are and the power you hold."

Nessarose just saw a small problem with that. She didn't have any power! With a heavy sigh she looked to her silver slippers that were placed near the vanity. The glimmered, even in the dim light given off by the two candles on the bedside table. They were the source of her powers, but they didn't seem to work. How could she stop the Wicked Witch if she didn't have any magic to help her?

Without thinking of what she was doing, Nessarose lay down and rested her head in Evanora's lap. It was something she would do with her friends back home and at this point, she considered Evanora a friend.

Evanora didn't know how to react at first. She never actually had to deal with someone like Nessarose before. She had been there for Theodora when Theodora had been this age. But Theodora had acted differently than Nessarose. Absently, Evanora started stroking Nessa's long dark hair. Nessarose had really been the first person to completely accept her, but only because Nessa didn't know of what she had done in the past. And Evanora intended to keep that a complete secret.

"It's gonna be fun tomorrow right?" Nessarose asked as she continued to let Evanora comfort her. "The ball isn't going to be boring?"

A faint smile graced Evanora's features, though Nessa couldn't see. "Yes, it will be fun," she promised. "Now you really should get some sleep. There's a lot that needs to be done tomorrow." Mainly concerning Nessa's training and such.

Nessarose groaned in protest. It was just like schoolwork! It had to be done even if no one wanted to do it. And that just made it extremely annoying. "I don't wanna sleep," Nessarose whined like the immature being she truly was at heart. "I'm not tired, I swear." And as soon as the words left her mouth, a yawn slipped past her lips unexpectedly.

"Really? Truthfully I'm having a hard time believing that you're not tired," Evanora teased as Nessarose sat up and then lay back against the pillows. The older witch then stood up and started to leave the room.

Nessarose stopped her though. "Wait!" Evanora paused and turned to look at Nessa once more. "One more question! What does my dress for tomorrow look like?"

A warm smile appeared on Evanora's countenance. It was nice to see Nessa take an interest in her new life. "You'll see tomorrow. Goodnight, Nessa."

"G'night!"

The door slowly closed and Nessarose blew out the candles. The room was engulfed with darkness as she snuggled beneath the covers, letting the warmth they provided embrace her.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

"I-I'm doing it!" Nessarose exclaimed excitedly as she held the orb of magic in her hand. It was weak but she was doing it. Her Silver Slippers were glowing bright as she continued to focus on the magic within her.

She could just hardly believe it. With Evanora, she had been working on her magic for hours on end, starting from really early in the morning. It had to be evening now and though what Nessarose managed to do wasn't excellent, she was making progress which was all that really mattered.

Evanora clasped her hands together and grinned proudly. "Wonderful, you're making great progress Nessa. You still have a long ways to go but at least you're managing to summon magic." She studied the orb in Nessa's hand. It was silvery smoke with sparkles; most unusual, but magic nonetheless. "I'm sure in no time you'll possess great skills."

From the doorway of the practice room came a quiet sound of someone clearing their throat. Nessa and Evanora both looked over and saw that it was Glinda. The blonde haired witch was smiling as well, for she had witness Nessa's accomplishment. "I do hate to interrupt such wonderful progress being made, but I do believe it is time to get ready for the ball."

Nessarose gulped. She had actually forgotten about that. Gods, she was going to make a fool of herself at this thing. It was like prom except a thousand times worse because instead of just being able to mosh, she would actually have to dance. She would look like an idiot!

Still, words of protest could not get past her lips as Glinda took her hand and started leading her to her bedroom so that she may get dressed and ready for the event to come.


	11. Chapter 11

The ballroom had been exquisitely decorated with colors that complimented the green of the Emerald City. Colors such as blues, silvers, and whites made up the décor. Guests chatted about happily over champagne and Evanora could have sworn that the champagne had a tint of green to it. Living in this blasted Emerald City for so long had her seeing everything in green.

The dress she wore was just a tad bit uncomfortable. It did not itch or scratch her, though the taffeta and tulle did cause some irritation. She was just not entirely used to such attire. There had not been a ball like this in ages, and of course wearing her usual sparkled slimming black or green dress simply wouldn't do. So she had given in to what society saw as right and put on a green crystal lace-up emerald dress. Evanora had made sure that the neckline was decent.

Some guests were growing a bit restless. They had come in hopes of finally meeting the Witch of the North and so far, no show. The younger guests, those who were seven or eight years of age, had no problem with expressing their increasing boredom. They would tug at their parents' clothes, whining that they wished to just return home already.

And then a hush fell over the entire crowd. Everyone turned their gaze to the top of the stairs where Nessarose stood in her midnight blue ball gown that had crystal swirls on the bodice. The jaws of a few men dropped and Nessarose blushed a deep shade of crimson. This was just like a fairy tale… and she liked it. She descended the stairs and as she did so, she heard the crowd murmuring softly. The feeling of liking this moment quickly vanished and Nessarose suddenly felt very sick. Everyone watching her, analyzing; it was terrifying!

Evanora was at her side in an instant. "Don't you worry about them," she assured Nessa, giving her a soft smile. "Glinda did a splendid job making you look more than presentable for this occasion. I do think that blue is your color."

As Evanora spoke, she guided Nessarose to the dance floor, where they were met by a young man who looked to Nessarose to be the age of twenty. He had dark skin that was covered with blue diamond-shaped tattoos. His eyes were intelligent, Nessa noted. The bottom line was: he was cute.

The stranger bowed in respect. "Hello, Nessarose Witch of the North," he greeted her in a soothing voice that could easily put Nessa into a trance. "My name is Fiyero Tigelaar. I am an Arijiki prince from the Vinkus and it is an honor to be in your presence."

Nessarose was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to respond after being addressed in such a way. It was like she was royalty! Maybe she was. "Oh, uh, I… it's nice to meet you Fiyero," she replied with an awkward curtsy. "My name's Nessa… I guess you kind of already know that though," Nessarose added with a sheepish grin.

Fiyero smiled at Nessarose. It was quite amusing to see her act in such a way. He took her hand and kissed the back of it and Nessa's blue eyes widened. So this was what it felt like to be treated like a lady. Her thoughts were blurred and she almost missed it when Fiyero asked her to dance. "Oh, yeah sure!" she agreed. She glanced nervously to Evanora, but found that the woman was no longer by her side.

The prince led her to the middle of the ballroom floor as a new song was started up by the orchestra. It was a slow dance and Nessarose found that she was incredibly nervous. She couldn't dance! And she was wearing her Silver Slippers; how was she supposed to attempt to dance in heels?

Fieyro seemed to sense her uneasiness though and took Nessa's hand while placing his other hand on her waist, holding her close but not uncomfortably so. "Just let me lead," he whispered to her before taking hold of the situation and guiding her across the dance floor. He made sure to keep the movements small so she wouldn't be caught too off guard by anything.

Soon enough, Nessarose fell into the rhythm of the music and Fiyero grinned. "You are quite the natural," he complimented. "I hope the guests won't mind it if I steal you away for a few moments."

"Honestly I doubt they'll even notice," Nessarose replied in a quiet and almost dazed voice. She let the Arijiki prince lead her out to the gardens of the palace.

It was so beautiful at night. Moonbeams made some flowers appear as if they were glowing and the sight was breathtaking. "This is kinda weird for me," Nessa confessed. "Where I'm from, if a guy likes a girl he asks her out to the movies or something and the moonlit garden thing only happens in fairy tales."

Fiyero gave Nessarose a quizzical look when she mentioned the movies. But he did not question what she said and laughed at the fairy tale remark. "Well, Nessarose, where I am from it is essential to act fast when one likes a girl otherwise she may be taken by another and I certainly do not want that to happen." He kissed the back of her hand again and Nessarose felt a rush of warmth spread through her body. Was it love at first sight that was happening?

When Fiyero straightened up from kissing her hand, the two locked eyes and everything seemed to stop for a moment. And when time started back up again, they were leaning towards each other, their lips just about to touch and…

And the moment was interrupted when a ball of fire crashed into the garden. Nessarose and Fiyero jumped apart and their eyes widened as Theodora emerged from the flames. The Wicked Witch let out a cackle at the sight of the two. "Well isn't this sweet? It makes me sick," she spat as she stalked towards the two.

"What are you doing here?" Nessarose demanded. She tried sounding empowered but it was hard for her voice was so shaky.

Theodora wore an almost charming smile as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "Why, to destroy you of course, my pretty," she answered Nessarose, mocking her by using a sweet tone. She reached out, a sharp fingernail tracing Nessa's jaw line, sending shivers down the girl's back.

Fiyero narrowed his eyes on the Wicked Witch, the evil woman who had taken root in the Vinkus that was located in Western Oz. The Vinkus was where his castle, Kiamo Ko, was located. The Wicked Witch had taken over his homeland and that didn't sit well with him. "You keep away from her, you witch!" he shouted whilst pointing an accusing finger at her.

Theodora turned her threatening gaze onto Fiyero. She pursed her lips slightly as she thought of exactly how to punish the prince for speaking in such a way to her. Death seemed appropriate. A fireball formed in her sour apple green hand and before Fiyero had time to react, she shot it at him.

He fell to the ground, writhing in pain and Nessarose screamed. She tried to move but she couldn't. She honestly couldn't; Theodora had used a magic spell to paralyze Nessarose. Theodora laughed cruelly as Nessarose had no choice but to watch Fiyero burn.

The scent of burnt flesh made Nessarose want to throw up. Her eyes burned from tears and the smoke. They had only just met and already he was gone. She would never get him back.

When there was nothing left of him but a burnt crisp, the spell on Nessarose was lifted. The sadness was pushed aside as anger took over and her hands clenched into fists, a silvery aura starting to engulf them. "You killed him! You're a murderer!"

Her tirade was cut short when she felt a sharp sting on her cheek. Theodora had struck her across the face. "Be still your foolish mouth, girl!" the Wicked Witch scolded. Both failed to notice that the Silver Slippers had begun to glow. "I am the only one with any real power here, and you know it. So just give up now; it might save your life, though I very much doubt it since I must end you before you put an end me." Another fireball appeared in Theodora's palm and she aimed it at Nessarose.

Before the fireball could be thrown though, Nessarose shot out both of her hands and beams of silver erupted from her fingertips, hitting Theodora square in the chest. The witch dressed in black was thrown to the ground. She was quick to get back up though, flames of anger dancing in her eyes. "Killing you will be a pleasure, I assure you," she said darkly as she neared Nessarose. Before Nessa could react, Theodora reached out and grabbed her arm, digging her fingernails in Nessa's flesh. A wicked cackle escaped Theodora was she dragged her nails along Nessa's skin, lacerating the arm and decorating it with red ribbons that gushed blood.

Nessarose let out a cry of pain that was cut off when Theodora wrapped the hand that wasn't digging into her arm around her neck and squeezed tightly. The girl couldn't breathe; she couldn't focus! She tried willing her magic to work, but it seemed to be of no use.

Feeling lightheaded, Nessa collapsed to the ground. Still Theodora did not release her grip. Theodora straddled Nessarose, tightening her grasp and now using both hands on Nessarose's neck, pressing her thumbs onto Nessa's trachea.

The world started to go black and Nessarose attempted to shout for Evanora. Evanora had been by her side this whole time and when Nessarose needed her the most she wasn't there!

_Come on Evanora! Where are you? Save me! Help me! Don't let me die!_

It was of no use though and as Nessa's eyes closed, her body gave up and her heart stopped.

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**Fear not dear readers! This is not the last chapter and things get better... sort of. I know things seemed to have happened kind of fast but I swear to you it will all be explained in the next chapter which will be the last.**


	12. Chapter 12

Slowly, Nessarose opened her eyes. She was in a room she didn't recognize. The walls were white and bare, and while they were merely plain walls, there was something ominous about them. Nessa also noticed that there was a window; a window with bars.

She looked down and became even more confused. Just moments ago, she had been wearing the midnight blue ball gown that had been specially tailored for her. Now, she was clothed in loose, gray cotton pants and short sleeved shirt. Nessa's hair had been pulled up into a ponytail. No longer did she have her hair pinned up and falling in elegant curls. Tentatively, Nessarose put her feet on the ground and stood up from the metal framed bed she had been sitting on. Nessa walked over to the heavy metal door she saw.

With high hopes, Nessarose tried the handle. It would hardly budge though; the door was locked. Beginning to get worried, Nessarose continued to pull on the handle, but to no avail. Her heart began racing; she was trapped! Nessa began to bang on the door. "Help! Someone please, help! I'm trapped, please help!" she shouted, hoping that someone would hear her and come to the rescue. There were many moments of just pounding on the door.

And then, much to Nessa's relief, there was the sound of small gears turning; the door was being unlocked. Nessa took a few steps back so that she door could open without hitting her. she felt a small smile appeared on her face. She wasn't going to be trapped in this strange room any longer!

Nessa's smile immediately vanished when she saw who it was who had opened the door. It was Theodora. But she didn't quite look like how Nessa knew her appearance to be. Theodora's eyes were no longer red and demonic. One was green and one was brown. And her skin! It was no longer green! But there was still something portentous about her.

Theodora, in her white nurse attire, tilted her head to the side slightly. "Is something the matter dear?" she asked and Nessarose was sure she was feigning innocence. "You were making quite the racket." Nessa's blue eyes traveled to Theodora's hand and she tensed, seeing the needle. Before she had time to react, Theodora grabbed her and stuck the needle in her arm.

Gently and almost motherly, Theodora guided Nessarose to the bed as she started becoming drowsy and laid her down. Nessarose started mumbling incoherent words, trying to fuss. "Sh, shh, it's alright dear," Theodora murmured soothingly as she caressed Nessa's cheek. "You probably just woke up from another nightmare, didn't you?"

Unable to fight anymore, Nessarose nodded sleepily. "It was real," she whispered as her eyes started to fall shut. "It was real." Her voice became faint and then completely faded out as she succumbed to the sedative.

When the girl was passed out, Theodora grinned in triumph. The girl was so much more tolerable when she was silent.

"Theodora," came a firm voice from the doorway. Theodora turned to see her older sister, Evanora, standing there with her arms crossed and a disapproving look. "Just what are you doing?"

Theodora rolled her eyes. "Keep calm, sister; she needed to be relaxed, the poor thing," said Theodora with false motherly affection as she gazed down sympathetically on the patient.

Dr. Evanora huffed in irritation as she stepped further into the cell. "Sister I had a session with her. And now my whole schedule will be thrown off because she won't be able to attend. You know how much help this one needs."

But Evanora's concerns were something Theodora couldn't care less about. This girl was trouble and was sedated quite often. "She should wake up soon, sister. Even so, I suggest that you continue on with your appointments," Theodora responded to the psychiatrist before walking out of the room.

Evanora huffed in irritation. Honestly, just because her sister was the Head Nurse in the Outer Zone Mental Institute, Theodora thought she ran the whole corporation. Evanora's gaze softened as she studied Nessarose. The poor girl had come to the Outer Zone Mental Institute (referred to as Oz by many of the patients) very mentally broken; the poor thing. And she never seemed to remember where she was exactly. Evanora had been working with her for about a year now and still no breakthroughs.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

"Nessarose," a distant voice called to her. It seemed so far away though that Nessa didn't know where it was coming from exactly. "Nessarose," it said again. This time, Nessa snapped her gaze forward, leaving her thoughts and returning to reality. Evanora had been the one saying her name. But she didn't look like the Evanora that Nessarose had come to know. This Evanora was dressed more plainly in a pencil skirt, blouse, and blazer.

Nessa blinked a few times, staring blankly at Evanora before realizing that she was supposed to respond. "Hm? Oh, sorry," she mumbled.

It had been a day since Nessarose had been sedated by Theodora; a day since Nessarose awoke in the Outer Zone Mental Institute. It was strange. This was all familiar and at the same time so very foreign.

A quiet sigh escaped Evanora. Again that girl had become lost in her thoughts. It was wasting time in their sessions. But Evanora knew that she had to be patient with this one. She was different than the others. "That's quite alright. Now I want you to tell me about what happened yesterday. Why exactly did Nurse Theodora have to sedate you?" Evanora knew perfectly well why. But hearing Nessarose's side of things might help her to help Nessa.

Her dream? Nessarose didn't remember having dreamt anything. The last thing she remembered was battling Theodora, or trying to battle Theodora anyway. In thought, Nessarose looked down to her arms. There on her right arm were long ribbon scars from the crook of her elbow to her wrist from when Theodora had dug her claws into her flesh and sliced her.

"You don't remember doing that to yourself, do you?" Dr. Evanora's voice was soft and yet her words cut like a blunt knife.

She had done this to herself? No, no she couldn't have! "The Wicked Witch did this to me," Nessarose insisted. "She hurt me; Theodora hurt me."

Goodness, now she was accusing Theodora of being a wicked witch? "Oh dear," Evanora tutted. This was going to be difficult for sure. But Evanora had been working with Nessarose for some time now; she knew how to handle her. Evanora set aside her pen and pad of paper, gesturing for Nessa to come to her.

Nessarose stood up from the couch she had been sitting on and moved around the coffee table that separated her and Evanora. She sat beside Evanora on the couch that the psychiatrist currently occupied. On instinct, Nessarose lay down; resting her head in Evanora's lap, and the woman immediately started combing her fingers through her patient's hair.

This kind of physical affection was frowned upon in Evanora's field. Such intimacy could harm a patient more than help. But this was really the only thing that soothed Nessarose. "No, dear, Theodora didn't do this to you. It was lunchtime and you got hold of a knife. Do you really not remember?"

"No," Nessa answered, sounding almost tired. The act of Evanora stroking her hair was comforting; soothing. "H-how did I get here?" she asked hesitantly, sounding so afraid. And she really was. She had been in the Land of Oz and was now here in… Oz. But it the land she had come to love. This was the Outer Zone Mental Institute, located on the outskirts of town hence the name "Outer Zone." It was Oz, but not _her_ Oz.

There were a few beats of silence before Evanora gave in and decided to explain the cold truth. "There was an accident, Nessarose. Do you at least remember that, that huge storm where the waterspout formed?"

Wait, yes, Nessarose did remember that! "Yeah, I remember."

Again, a few more beats of silence. "Do you remember your friend Lowell?" When Nessarose indicated yes, Evanora continued. "He was killed in the storm. According to your parents when they brought you here, you saw him and just weren't quite the same."

So her parents brought her here to this mental prison. The traitors! But Nessarose couldn't be angry with them. In fact, her memory of them was rather blurry. "And… how long have I been here?"

"A year."

At this, Nessarose cried.

Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz*Oz

Nessarose looked up from her lap when she heard the door to her room creak open. It was Theodora with a small paper cup of pills and a bigger paper cup of water. She handed each cup to Nessarose with a false smile.

And as Nessarose took hold of the cups, she locked eyes with Theodora. For just an instant, the nurse's eyes changed, becoming a demonic red. Nessa tensed.

"Make sure you take both pills," Theodora said, using the kind voice that she always used for "friendly" reminders. She winked and started to leave the room.

Before she could close the door, Nessarose spoke up. "You're not going to get away with this, you wicked witch."

Theodora turned to once more meet and hold Nessa's gaze. Her smile was sweet, almost convincingly so. But her eyes told a different story. And again, Nessa could see the demonic red. "But dear, I already have."

And with a wicked cackle, she slammed the door shut, locking it.


End file.
